Question
I got the brown turkey fig tree as a gift a year ago.  It was   outdoors on the deck all spring and summer.  It produced the loveliest figs about 13 however a lot of them fell off before they were fully grown.  The tree lost all its leaves by October.  I brought it in to the sun room which is cool and sunny.
A month ago as buds began to come up, I started watering the tree weekly. Now it has a lot of leaves and several fruits.  Today one fig the size of a grape fell off.  I am afraid the others will too.  I know it is too premature in Indiana to take the tree to the deck.  I believe it will be mid May before the weather is frost free. Suggestions for taking care of the tree now before it goes outdoors?  Also, I wonder if the pot 14 inches in diameter by 12 in height is too small...Will a larger container help?  I love the beautiful leaves and eventhough only three figs reached some sort of maturity last summer, the tree looked gorgeous with  all the figs before they fell to the ground.  Thank you so much.  I hope to receive your guidance.

Answer
Hi Martha,

The Brown Turkey Fig is a variety of Ficus carica that was developed to survive in cold winters, probably even in Indiana. I know people have success with them as far north as Ohio, PA and CT. They really are not intended to be used as indoor plants, especially if you want them to bear fruit successfully. Premature warmth indoors tends to create fruit that drops off before it is fully ripened.

If you leave yours outdoors next fall, it will gradually adapt to the cold temps and should survive the winter if you prune it back and wrap it. Because it probably is still too cold right now, you best not move it outdoors just yet because it would be too much of a shock after being warm all winter. Once, the warm weather returns, I suggest that you prune your tree back sharply and plant it in the ground in a sunny location. You may not get good figs this year, but you should in subsequent years if you keep it out of the house.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

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